Modicon M580 ePAC Ethernet automation controller

Schneider Electric has launched its Modicon M580 ePAC automation controller which is the key component of PlantStruxure, the company’s integrated automation architecture. The company says the M580 is the world’s first ePAC - a next-generation PAC (programmable automation Controller) which is based entirely on Ethernet.

The Modicon M580 is based on the SPEAr (Structured Processor Enhanced Architecture) microprocessor that embeds inside standard unmodified deterministic Ethernet inside the controller and applies it to all communications, including all the way to the hardware connection on the backplane. This offers improved levels of transparency and performance, without any need for manual configuration of each connected device. The SPEAr technology applies Ethernet communications to the field bus, control bus and internal backplane bus, and, consequently, to all the connected equipment and modules. Ethernet is also automatically applied to every device in the network, such as electrical distribution, low-voltage boards and energy management functions to form a complete and open system.

The M580’s processor is a 600 MHz ARM dual-core processor to deliver a higher level of computing power, enabling safety features to be built in and enhance its resistance to cyber threats. In addition, with integrated Change Configuration on the fly, users no longer need to stop their process to add a drop or module, change architecture or modify the application.

M580 also offers Xbus communication with Modicon Premium, so that depending on the current system needs, users can easily switch between the different controller sizes in the Modicon range without changing I/O racks and cabling.